Promises Fulfilled
by Zombielicious
Summary: [oneshot] Based from 'Final Fantasy: Last Order.' Zack's thought as He and Cloud escape from the Turks and his thoughts on death. [slight ZackxCloud]


A/N: I spent almost two hours on this. I had just recently seen the anime movie "Final Fantasy VII: Last Order" and decided to make a oneshot about it, through Zack's eyes. Read and Review, please!

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Okay. So this wasnt the best situation someone could be in.

Zack sighed to himself, his vision was becoming blurry. The forresty dirt path he was following was almost pitch black except for the pale full moon. His whole body ached, but they had to keep moving. He lost his grip of his commrade and almost dropped him, but he tightened his grip on the boy's arm and shifted him closer to him. "Sorry about that..." He apologized to him. Cloud looked horribly tired, his blue mako eyes dull with exhaustion and pain. "I want to let you rest, but it seems we dont have time for that." He didnt expect any words from his friend, he was usually such a quiet person.

His overly large sword on his back was begining to feel very heavy, but he tried to ignore the dull pain growning in his lowerback. He heard footsteps behind him. His senses were alive, there were a group of soliders behind them. He heard them running from behind, and then heard them jump into the trees. Her heard someone run behind him and raise his sword, just as he was about to slash at him, Zack caught the blade in his gloved hand. He threw the solider aside and pulled the sword from his back and twisted his body to the right, the blade hitting another solider in the side. He dropped Cloud as 2 soliders came at him. He swung his sword backwards and caught one solider in the head. He then swung the sword like a golf club, the very tip of the blade hitting this one in the chin, probally killing him.

He wiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead and focused his attention on his wounded partner. He lay, crumpled on the dirt floor. Helpless. But he was his friend. "Like an average solider can take me on," Zack said confidantly, placing the sword back into place on his back and headed towards Cloud, picking him up and swinging his arm over his shoulder, wrapping his other arm around his waist. They trudged forword. He heard a man cry from behind him, "There they are!" "What a bunch of persistant guys," He whispered, looking behind them. The clatter of gunfire shot of them from behind, Zack picked up speed, almost dragging cloud with him.

The bullets bounced off the steel of the sword, Zack noticed a cliff up ahead. _Would they be crazy enough to follow us off thisdamn cliff?_He looked at Cloud and then jumped off, preparing himself for the landing. The two crashed to the ground. Zack groaned as he pulled himself up, wearily looking up at the cliff, the soliders looking down. He crawled over to Cloud, checking to see if he was alright and lifted him up, making a dash for the clearing up ahead. It was like a construction site, with large scaffolds and metal beams laying carelessly in the dirt. He heard the soliders one again comming forword. He pulled the sword, once again, from his back and raising it in front of him, just as the soliders circled around them.

They raised their automatic guns at them and aimed. "Heh, making such a fuss over the two of his," He said, backing up. They were relentless, closing in on them. "well..." He said softly. "What should we do now?" He asked to his friend, his head hung limply against his shoulders. Yet again, he didnt expect and awnser from him. He set cloud carefully down, the boy's emotionless eyes staring into his own before he looked away. Zack struck his sword into the ground and backed up and ran towards a pair of soliders. He jumped up and kicked on in the head, just as he attacked the soliders erupted into a hail of bullets. He narrowly missed the bullets piercing his skin, hoping his plan would work. It did. The bullets aimed to him were dodged, they then backfired on unsuspecting soliders. "We're in each others line of fire!" One solider cried, watching his commrage get shot in the face by a stray bullet, "we're shooting each other!"

"Engage the situation with close combat weapons!" He cried, the soliders pulling swords from their belts and ran to attack him. He caught one of the soliders with a kick to the head, he elbowed another in the face and flipped one solider over his head, hearing a sick crack when he landed on the hard path. His body ached, he was growing very tired. Cant give up! "He' so strong...So this is the strength of a SOLIDER" One of the attackers said, his voice strained and awed. He lunged at them, punching and kicking precisely at them. The dead or unconcious soliders lay at his feet, his dark blue eyes scanning the distance. He heard the roar of motorcycles and he squinted. _Shit..._ He thought, looking at Cloud before taking a run for it. _I'll be right back...I won't abandon you_ he thought, as her heard a solider call after him, "Pursue him dammit!"

He ran amongst the metal skeletons of the buildings, running to the right and then the left. His vision was worsening, he tried to blink it away. He seen flashes of lights from the motorcycle's headlights and they sped past him, turning back and cornering him. The slow, steady hum of a helicopter rose from the dark sky, the beam of the light aimed on him. A red Shin-Ra emblem was adorned on the back of the helicopter, and by seeing the people inside the 'copter, Zack guessed they were Turks. A cool woman's voice came from the helicopter, "Surrender quietly! If you do, we ensure you your life!" "I dont need an assurance of my life..." He said. "What I want is Freedom!" He ran towards the motorcycles, punching one in the face and throwing another off of the motorcyle, jumping on and he sped off to get cloud.

He came upon the scene, a pair of soliders trying to get his sword from the ground. He got off, one solider saying to the other, "Hurry up, we've been here for almost five minutes trying to pull this thing from the ground!" Zack snuck up and grabbed one of the soliders heads and slammed it against a metal beam, he sagged against the ground. "Your...Your're Zack" The other, defensless solider mumbled. He ignored him, pulling his sword from the earth and hung it in place on his back, he squatted down next to Cloud. "Sorry to keep you waiting" he said, smiling at the blonde. Still ignoring the solider, he helped Cloud over to the motorcycle, climbing on and wrapped Cloud's arm around his stomach, his head rested on his shoulder. He kicked the motorcycle to a start and sped off.

"Dont be mad," He called out to him as they sped out. He was planning to go to Midgar, they could maybe stay with his girlfriend Aeris. Bringing him out of his thoughts was the familiar hum of the helicopter, the beam flashing down on them. _Damn, so they found us_ he thought, trying to think of a plan. He seen the path incline and lead into a underground tunnel. Perfect. He sped towards it, the helicopter was gone. Tiny lights hung from the ceiling of the tunnel, eliminating the way for them.

As the tunnel slowly came to an end, the bike slowed down. "Okay, we're walking now," Zack said, pulling cloud up and leaning him against him, and wrapping his arm around his neck and pulling him along the way. They were following a cement road that led towards the desert, the sky was lighting changing from a midnight black to a royal blue. He was so tired, he wanted to relieve his shoulders from carrying his sword, but it was from his father. he couldnt just leave it behind, he was the only thing he had ever given him. He seen headlights comming from behind them. Back up for Shin-ra? how could they have gotten here so fast? But he realized it was only a truck. The truck slowed down and the man driving said, "Hey, do you guys need a ride or something?" "Yeah." "Where to?" he asked, jumping out and opening up the back for them to jump in. "Anywhere," Zack said, as the kind driver jumped back into the front seat.

The driver picked up speed and drove down the cement road. Zack scooted closer to cloud in the metal bed of the truck. "So, we finally get to rest" He said. Cloud looked into his eyes and then looked away. He was thankful that he didnt looked traumatized or dead anymore. Cloud rested his head on Zack's shoulder and closed his eyes, he could feel cloud's warm breath tickle at his face. He closed his eyes too, thankful for being able to rest. He held cloud's hand in his and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Zack's eyes fluttered open as the golden sun shone down on him. The sky was a light blue color and clouds hung restlessly in the air. Faint music came from the radio where the driver was focused on the road. Zack tried to lift up his arms to strech, but didnt realize Cloud was clinging to him. He looked down at him and almost smiled at his peaceful face. He still felt bad for abandoning him last night, but he could make up for it in the future. The driver took notice that he was awake. "So, your finally awake. I'm heading for Midgar, so I hope thats okay," he informed. "thats perfect." he said. Cloud soon shifted and moved away from Zack.

After a few minutes of akward silence, Zack said, "So, we're heading for Midgar." Cloud nodded at him, and fixed his gaze at his hands. "What are you going to do when we reach Midgar?" He asked, trying to make conversation. but he didnt awnser, thats was annoyed him. He liked having people to talk to and it was werid being in this familiar akward silence with him. "hey, pops," he said, leaning against the side of the truck, "Do you know of any buisnesses that ill be able to do?" "What are you saying? you need to try out everything while your still young!" The old driver chuckled.

"'Everything' So he says," Zack said, looking at the mountain scenery around him, 'Not much of a help, huh?" He thought. He was specially trained since he was young, he was far more skilled than the average person. "I do have skills other people dont, So maybe I'll open a buisness that does everything!" he said, feeling very happy. Cloud's eyes hadnt moved from his hands. "Are you listening?" He said, inwardly laughing at himself. He felt like a loser, he hated talking to himself and he felt stupid because he talked too much. "So, what are you going to do?" He asked his silent partner. His gaze shifted from his hands to the rusted metal bed of the truck. "Im just kidding you know, I wont' do a thing like abandon you or something. We're friends, right?"

He didnt awnser. He heard a faint click from somewhere in the moutains. his blue gaze focusing on the rocky cliffs. He seen a person dressed in black, his gun aimed for cloud. He seen the persons finger move towards the trigger. In a single second, like in slow motion, it happened. Zack lunged on top of Cloud and heard the clash of gunfire. He felt horrible pain, his eye sight turning red. He tried to say something, but couldnt. Another loud clang of gunfire, it sounded muted and far away. He felt it, no saw it, go straight through his skull.

* * *

His lifeless form lay in the rusted truck bed, blood morbidly decorated the truck. He wouldnever be able to Lying out, his pale expression dead, like he was sleeping. The wind ripped at his hair, his body soon surrounded in a pool of blood. The sun shined down on his motionless body, as if mocking him. He was silenced. He would never open his royal blue eyes again, he would enter the world of eternal sleep.

He watched his body lay in the hands of his friend. He didnt want to think of himself dying, he didnt want to admit it but he feared death. The truck became tiny, and soon disapeared. He was soaring through the air, the sky wasnt there anymore. But a greenish glow surrounded his body, he felt entirely alone. It wasnt a single beam of green light, but little strands. Like little roads streching out for miles, for as far as he could see. Lifestream?

Zack had always had this immagination that death would be like re-living your life, but it was never ending. Something like having your greatest moments replayed. But this was nothing like it. Would anyone care that he was dead? Would anyone think that somehow, he still possibly existed, but in spirit insted of physical form? He looked down at himself. Same blue garments that we wore when he had died, same gloved hands. He felt horrible. He was in so much pain, he thought his heart would burst. He couldnt possibly accept his death.

The lifestream flashed before his eyes, a brilliant green light and a figure appeared before him. It was a beautiful figure. A woman. She wore a white dress, like untouched snow and matching slippers. Her honey brown hair was tied up with a light pink ribbon, curly whisps of hair hung down and framed her beautiful face. Her emerald green eyes explained it all. "Aeris..." He whispered.

Her eyes widened and she said, "Zack! Have you died too...?" She then looked away and said, "Nevermind, dont awnser that." "How could you have died? You were in Midgar." he said, amazed that his girlfriend was before him, looking angelic. "It is a long story" She said, smiling at him. "How did you die...? It may seem a bit odd that I'm asking, but im just curious. I felt so bad that you never came home, I thought you probally found some girl who was beautiful and perfect and just left me." she said. "Never!" he said. She smiled, and said, "You havent changed, you know."

"Cloud..." He whispered. Aeris raised an eyebrow at him, her emerald eyes shining curiously. "Did you say Cloud? Is...he a friend of yours?" "Yes. I guess I...protected him. He almost died. I saved him. Thats why I'm here" He said. "I know someone named cloud. Spiky blonde hair? Unaturally blue eyes?" She questioned. He nodded. "Is he okay?" "you know, I never really noticed how much you two look alike."

"your not awnsering my question." He said, placing his hands on his hips. "He is alive. He was with me when I passed on to this world. I am trying to somehow contact him, but its useless." She mumbled. "But your like a god or something, how is it not possible? I dont see any other person just walking around here, you must be something important in this world." "You could say that. But, listen to me." Her voice becoming hard and serious. "I'm sorry to say, Cloud does not remember you. He doesnt know that you were with him on that fateful day in Nibelheim." His eyes widened. "He only knows that Tifa was there." Tifa. The girl who gave them a tour of the town and Mako reactor. He remembered.

"He is finding it hard to believe that he is a person, more as a puppet." Aeris said. "Can you read minds or something?" Zack questioned. "Well, if you believe I am some god, then possibly yes." She smiled. "There is a great evil that could destory the earth. If i was still alive then i could defeat it, but i was killed. Killed by this evil and now I dont know how the world is going to be safe. This evil is going to summon Meteor, it will destory the earth." "If your god, you can stop that, dammit!" "Its not possible. Nor is contacting Cloud possible" She said, pain in her voice. "did you like him?" Zack questioned. "I think so. You were my first love, but when you never came back...I just forgot about you. I thought about you often, but I just moved on," She said. "I'm sorry" "theres nothing to be sorry about" he smiled at her, "Im sorry i never got a chance to say good-bye. I loved you alot you know." She blushed and said, "I'm sorry this meeting is very short. There are other souls calling to me, If you ever need me, Ill come to you." She said, comming forword to him and smiling.

"Of course" He said. She disapeared. He felt so alone. He collasped on the ground and sighed. "So what am I going to do now?" he said to himself, still thinking about Cloud. He had never exactly talked to him, but he could try to guess his feelings. He closed his eyes and sighed. "So I guess im dead now." he faced up and stared into the glowly form of the lifestream. For what seemed like days, Zack wandered this barren world that lay before him. The beam of the lifestream never left his sight, always there. He felt like maybe this was hell. Maybe he was being sent to hell because he agreed to join SOLIDER. He did kill tons of enemy soliders, but they deserved to be killed! he longed for someone to talk to, for someone to be there for him so he coudl just talk to someone besides himself.

He was hoping the angel would came back soon. Just one day, she appeared.

"The time has come. We can help cloud. Meteor is going to fall to the earth and kill every earthling. Help me stop it," She said, outstreching a hand to him. he took it and felt an amazing warm light fill his body. Aeris and himself stood on an earth platform, a cestial form before them. "Help me save cloud" She said, staring into his blue eyes. He nodded. She raised her hands to her heart and the lifestream frothed up from the land, raising and flowing into the meteor. Zack did as she was, a burning hot sensation flowing through him. Streams of emerald lifestream flowed to the meteor, pushing it back towards the heavens, the green beam of light overpowering the flaming red beast. With a final surge of strength, the lifesteam has sucsessfully destoryed the meteor. Zack fell to the ground, Aeris stood. Tears fell from her eyes and she said, "I hope they shall never forget us." She smiled down at him and sat next to him, and held his hand.

He actually had an importance in this new world, he saved his old home. He helped saved millions of innocent lives and he felt like a hero. _I did tell him I'd never abandon him, so I guess I did keep that promise_


End file.
